as in cowed
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as in intimidated
to make timid or fearful by or as if by threats
the judge warned the attorney that hectoring the witness with aggressive questioning would not be allowed
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Recent Examples of hectored
Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
Jason Sudeikis, Robert Smigel, and George Wendt hectored Kelce to (1) make Taylor pony up for a new stadium and (2) propose already.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hectored
Verb
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So when it is already known that ICE actually carries out unlawful violations of the Constitution as per state and federal court rulings, government employees are being set up to be intimidated to serve as accomplices to unlawful, not to mention immoral, behavior.—
Tony Lux,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Amodei said his company won't be intimidated.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Audiences who endured the Miramax era have been browbeaten to believe that the best picture Oscar should go to a period piece that chokes out a sob from audiences.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
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Not to the extent that the user is necessarily being browbeaten.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Do not procrastinate — and do not be bullied, either by your spouse or your attorney!—
Terry Savage,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
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Similarly, the defense insists, Oak View Group wasn’t bullied but instead pursued opportunities for collaboration.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Trump may hope that Americans will rally behind a campaign to rid the world of a bloody terrorist regime and give an oppressed people a chance at freedom.—
Steve Chapman,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Alper used his speech to express solidarity with oppressed people everywhere.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That habit didn’t endear the Alspaws to anyone nearby, including one neighbor who threatened to shoot Brittany after the Alspaws frightened his horses.—
Tessa Stuart,
Rolling Stone,
17 Feb. 2026
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Konstantin, 4, a sociable boy, is often frightened by loud noises and guards, his parents said.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Many of the recipes are simple variations on the classic spread, from a pimiento cheese filled with pickled okra to a pineapple variation (made with crushed pineapple from a can, naturally).—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Seasons in the Hindu Kush—Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter,2009–11, has the spectator stand above crushed pots as if surveying terrain from above—the godlike perspective of the Mercator projection, where mountains become miniature and geography flattens into a navigable surface.—
Anel Rakhimzhanova,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Setting expectations for a downtrodden player’s next season isn’t always easy, even when there’s an explanation for the statistical dropoff.—
Al Melchior,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Wonder if there's a former Alabama defensive coach looking to be a coordinator for a downtrodden NFC East franchise.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hectored.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hectored. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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